International relations and defence

A Constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand proposes to shift responsibility for major international relations and defence decisions from the Government to Parliament, making them more transparent and democratic.

Who should decide about war and treaties?

In New Zealand’s current constitutional arrangements, decisions about international relations and defence are left to Government Ministers. They can sign New Zealand up to binding treaties such as the Trans Pacific Partnership. And they decide when New Zealand goes to war. We think those decisions should be made by Parliament.

Increasing transparency for NZ’s spy agencies

New Zealand’s intelligence agencies have significant powers and operate with limited oversight. Most of what they do is secret. While their work is important for protecting New Zealand from genuine terror threats, it’s also vital that constitutional protections exist to keep their work from infringing on New Zealanders’ human rights. We think they should operate in a more open and transparent manner, and should be accountable to Parliament.